Numbering device.



C. MARTIN.

NUMBERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1912.

1,066,827, Patented July 8, 1913.

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G. MARTIN.

NUMBERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IANA. 1912.

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Patented July 8, 1913.

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G. MARTIN.

NUMBBRING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAII.4,1912.

1,066,827, Patented July 8,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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CALVIN MARTIN, OF PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CARTER TICKET COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

NUMBER/ING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 4, 1912.

To all 707mm may concern Be it known that I, CALVIN Man'rlN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 36 Lowell street, Peabody, county ot` Essex, Commonwealth ot h/lassacl'iusetts, have invented certain new and useful Imlin'ovements in Numbering Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to numbering devices and particularly to a rotary numbering head tor the printing otl tickets, coupons, ete.

In the rapid numbering oit printed articles lwhich are issued in series or sets much di'lliculty has been experienced in providing mechanisms which would act continuously and without omission when once started on a given series. In printing from rotary numbering devices, it also has been `desired to provide for the adjustment of numbering devices so as to secure (litl'erent peripheral spacing while maintaining a continuity oit numbering. It has furthermore been found desirable under some circumstances to number the series in reverse order, in order to simplify the calculation of the number et tickets used during any particular time.

It the object off my present invention to provide a device capable of meeting these requirements and also having various other advantages and improvements, as will be more fully set forth in the specification which `ili'ollows.

As illustrative of my invent-ion, I have shown in the accompanying drawings and have particularly described in the specifica.` tion a form et mnnbering head which l have found `well adapted to practical use.

'lfhronghoutspecification and drawings like reference numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts and `in the drawings: Figure l is a front elevation ot' a portion et.' my numbering head, part being in central section. Fig. 2 is a composite section of Fig. 1, being in general on line 3H-Q of Fig. l, and Fig. 23 is a partial plan view ot a `group oit cards adapted Vfor munbering. Fig. l- `is an enlarged view of a unit numbering head, in front elevation.` Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line, 5--5 otf Fig. Ll, with some oit the numbering wheelsI removed 'for greater elearuess. Fig. G is a similar sectional view with the numbering pawls re versed ilor back numbering, and Fig. 7 is a rear view oit' the numbering pawls seen in Fig. (S.

My mimbering head consists oit a drum l formed `integral with a driving shalt El, said sha'lt being' journaled, as ate., in a pair oit stationary cams 5, 5, said cams being keyed, as at C, in slamlart'ls 7, 7. ',lhe drum 1 is shown as having ten dovetailed grooves 8 each adapted to slidablyT receive a series et supporting blocks 9 each oit which carries a set ot numliering wheels l0, 1], Al2, 13, ll, the lirst, '10, representing the tens column and so on in succession to lll which represents the hundred thousands column ot the number to be printed. :Each ot' the grooves S slidably receives at each end, a pair of boxes 15, each forming a journal t'or an oscillating' rod f1.6 the outer ends o't said rod being' pinned, as at 1T, to a pair ot: connecting arms 1S, the :lree ends oil which are provided with cam rolls ll) adapted to operate within cam `grooves 20, E2() oit the cams o, 5. The rods '1G are splined, as at 2l, to engage the tooth 32 ot each sector Q3, one oit' which is slidably mounted on the rod 1li within ach supporting block f). The correspending'sector-arm Q4 and lingers 25 which operate the ratchcts QG will be later described. lhe cam grooves Q0, Q() each operate together to cause an advance (or de scent, according as the'tingers 25 are set) o'l one number in the tens column (the numbering wheel l0) ior each complete revolution of drum il. The operation ot' the wheelsI ll, 12, 113i and l-t each depend upon the wheel l() as will be described hereinaitler. lt is thus seen that, as there are ten series o'lf numbering wheels arranged radially and equally around the drum l, one revolution ol sha lt il will print consecutive numbers on a strip ot ten tickets 'l`. 'l`his arrangement permits me to make the unit die olf each block stationary, and numbered conseeulively on the teu blocks of each series. For instance, Fig. l. shows. from top to bottom ot the view, the unit dies S, l), t), l, E2 and 3, the remaining (lies o'l' the series being on the opposite side ol' the head, and concealed itrom view. 'l`hese unit dies are each formed on a block 2T secured to one ol the side walls o'lE the block t) by screws 2S, 2S. ()n the opposite wall o'lf each block E) l prefer to similarly mount a character die 29, making each die 29 of a series print the same letter', figure or character so that each strip of tickets T will have its own serial character.

The pins 30 fast in blocks 9 rotatably port the numbering wheels with ratchets 26.

Although the blocks 9 and the boxes 15 are slidably mounted in grooves 8, they may be secured in any desired position, by means of the gibs 31 and binding screws 32.

From an inspection of the drawings it will be clear that one cam 5 and one series of cam rolls 19 will successfully cause the operation of the numbering wheels; but, for purposes of better alinement in printing I prefer to use them in pairs as shown.

Each numbering drum forms a complete unit and can be readily removed from the standards 7, 7 if it is desired to repair the same, or, if it is desired to change the direction of the numbering, numbering the tickets T backward instead of forward, the drum is replaced in reversed position, end for end. When the drum is so reversed for backwardi printing, the series of pawls or fingers 25 of each numbering unit must be shifted so as to reverse the action of the numbering wheels without altering the direction of the external drive. The mechanism for these changes is best illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, and comprises a series of double pawls or lingers 25 properly alined and loosely mounted on a rod 40, but pinned together by pins 41. The ends 25 are each adapted to engage its respective ratchet 26 for the purpose (as illustrated) of advancing its corresponding numbering wheel through one number, space or a part of a revolution. Figs. 4 and 5 show the tens pawl in engagement with the tens ratchet, the numbering wheel 10 being indicated by dash lines, as it is removed to show the ratchet. The corresponding edges of the remaining pawls are seen in the same figures, being likewise numbered 25, each in turn up the row of numbering wheels being shorter than its predecessor so that only the ones needed will be operatively engaged, as is usual in devices of this character'. At a certain place on the ratchet 26 there is formed a recess or pocket 42 which permits the pawl 25 to drop farther between the teeth of the ratchet 26 so as to bring the next shorter pawl into engagement with its ratchet for the purpose of advancing, say, the wheels 10 and 11 together after the ligure 9 on the wheel 10 has been printed. In Fig. 5, the pawl-ends 25 have so advanced these two wheels and are in position for the next advance, which, however, will only advance the wheel 10, as the recess 42 has passed beyond their influence. The recess 42 is sufficiently deep to receive the tens suptheir pawl 25 when the hundred thousandth pawl is in engagement with its ratchet 26, the latter needing no recess 42.

The foregoing is all old and is described here merely to prepare the way for the reversible feature which is to follow.

The rod 40 is fast in a pair of links .43 which are pivotally mounted on *a pivot-pin 44 and held yieldingly toward the ratchets 26 by springs 45. The pivot-pin 44 is fast in ears 46 of the sector-arm 24 and its mate 24. (See Fig. 2.)

The reverse finger-ends 252L are adapted to engage the ratchets 26 on the return movement of sector-arm 24 instead of the forward movement as is the case of linger o-r pawl-ends 25. Their arrangement permits the same sequence of operations of the nurnbering wheels 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 as before described, but in the opposite direction, and they are also adapted to coperate with the same recess 42 for this purpose, with the difference, however, that the next higher numbering wheel must be brought into operation after the Zero has printed instead of before. Fig. 6 shows the completion of the wheel movement, and as the recess 42 is shown, the Zero character is indicated at X, while in Fig. 5, the same character is indicated at Y.

For the purpose of reversing the pawls 25, I prefer to provide a spring latch 47 secured at 48 to one of the links 48,'the free end of which is adapted to engage with either of the slots 49 formed on the boss of the tens pawl. A hand hold 50 secured to the spring latch 47 serves to withdraw the latter from engagement, whereupon the pawls 25 can be swung in the opposite direction and relocked by means of the other `slot 49.

On the opposite side of the numbering wheels 10, 11, 12, 1:3 and 14, I prefer to mount a series of spring fingers 51, secured to the block 9 at 52 and each adapted to engage one of the teeth of its ratchet 26 for the purpose of preserving the register of the numbering wheels. These could of course be replaced by reversible, springcontrolled, pivoted pawls and it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form of construction here and elsewhere shown. Such and various other modifications may obviously be made in my invention, all without departing from the spirit of the same if within the limits of the appended claims.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series of numbering devices, reciprocating means for actuating each numbering mechanism, and means for producing positive motio-n of said actuating means in each direction of said reciprocation at both ends of said support.

2. A rotary numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series of numbering devices, a plurality of numbering devices, means for holding said numbering devices in series on said support, reciprocating means for actuating each member of said series and means for securing positive reciprocation in each direction at both ends of said reversible support.

3. A rotary numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series of munbering devices, a plurality oit' numbering devices, means for removably ho-lding said numbering devices in series on said support, reciprocating means for actuating each member of said series and means for securing positive reciprocation in each direction at both ends of said reversible support.

4. A rotary numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series of numbering devices, a pair of bearings for rotatably supporting said head, a plurality of numbering devices on said support', means for holding said numbering devices in series on said support, reciprocating means for actuat-ing each member of said series, and means for securing positive reciprocation in each direction at both ends of said reversible support.

5. A numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series ot' numbering devices, a rock arm for actuating each numbering mechanism, a pair of connected cranks on each arm, and a stationary cam at each end ot' said head for engaging said arms to give positive motion in each direction ol their reciprocations.

(5. A numbering head comprising a support for a peripheral series of numbering devices, reversible means ilor actuating each numbering device, and means at both ends of said support for producing positive motion of said actuating means in both directions to secure the actuation oit said numbering mechanisms.

7. ln a printing machine, a numbering head comprising a reversible support for a peripheral series of numbering devices, means for rotatably mounting said support, reversible means 'tor actuating each numbering device, and means for eilecting said actuation in either direction.

In testimony whereof I aiHx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CALVIN M AR'IIN.

Witnesses VICTORIA LowDnN, RUTH B. ELLMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

